Adjustable key for cylinder locks

ABSTRACT

An adjustable key for cylinder locks has a set of lock-engaging pins which may be manually set to a selected configuration and which are spring-biassed toward a neutral configuration. Locking means are provided to lock the pins in the selected configuration, and manually operable release means are provided to disengage the locking means from the pins so as to return the pins automatically to the neutral configuration.

[ May 7,1974

United States Patent [191 Helenurm [54] ADJUSTABLE KEY FOR CYLINDER LOCKS 2,655,808 10/1953 70 394 1,899,739 70/41 1 2/1933 Von Mehren.........................

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLiCATlONS Kalju Helenurm, Willowdale, Canada [73] Assignee: Jonathan Lock Limited, Toronto,

[75] Inventor:

73,688 12/1953 Netherlands.............,............70/411 Ontario, Canada Apr. 23, 1973 Primary Examiner-Robert L. Wolfe [22] Filed:

Attorney, Agent, or Firm--Ridout & Maybee ABSTRACT 21 Appl. No.: 353,406

An adjustable key for cylinder locks has a set of lockengaging pins which may be manually set to a selected configuration and which are'spring-biassed toward a neutral configuration. Locking means are provided to lock the pins in the selected configuration, and manu- 88 9H M5 9 3 1 3 1 v 4 3 w w 3 7 w ,W 6 3 ""0 mmh "N .r ""8 hue U In he... C d s m U.mF 1]] 2 8 555 [1.1

ally operable release means are provided to disengage the locking means from the pins so as to return the pins automatically to the neutral configuration.

' References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1910 9/1927 977,181 1,642,725 Frischmuth...........................

10 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTEDIAY 11914 SHEET 1 [IF 4 SHEET 3 BF Q mm mm PATENTEU MAY 7 7 ADJUSTABLE KEY FOR CYLINDER LOCKS This invention relates to adjustable keys for use with cylinder locks, such as, for example, cylinder locks of the type described in US. Pat. No. 3,486,353, in the name Aksel Pilvet, dated Dec. 30, 1969 and entitled Lock Mechanisms and Keys Therefor. Cylinder locks of this general type are commonly used to secure the coin boxes of coin-freed vending machines, coinfreed washing machines, and the like.

Where a collector has to make periodic collections from coin boxes which are secured by such looks, it is usually necessary that he should carry a large number of keys, one for each lock to be opened. This has numerous obvious disadvantages. Apart from the obvious inconvenience of having to carry a large number of keys and the inconvenience of having to identify the correct key for each lock, the multiplicity of keys increases the risk that a key may be lost and so reduces the security of the system. Furthermore, in any case where it is desired to change the combinations of the locks, it is necessary to provide new keys.

It is known to provide an adjustable key for use with such locks. One adjustable key for this purpose is described in US. Pat. No. 2,428,397, issued Oct. 7, 1947 to Bernard Sterner. The key described in this patent has a number of independently adjustable lockengaging pins which can be set to any desired locking configuration and locked in their set positions.

The present invention provides an adjustable key of this general type having manually operable means for releasing the pins from a set configuration so that they are returned automatically to a neutral configuration.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the manually operable means has three operative positions, namely, a first position in which the pins are locked in the configuration to which they have been set, a second position in which the pins can be manually reset, and a third position in which the pins are automatically released so as to be returned to the neutral configuration by biasing springs.

In order that the invention may be readily understood, one embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an adjustable key in which the lock-engaging pins are locked in a particular configuration;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the key with part of the key casing removed, the pins being in the neutral configuration;

FIG. 3 is a partly broken away view of one of the locking pins and associated parts;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the key, similar to that of FIG. 1, but showing the opposite side of the key;

FIG. 5 is a partly broken away perspective view of one half of the key casing and parts carried thereby;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a manually operable release means for the key;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional plan view of the key showing the manually operable release means in a first operative position;

FIG. 8 is a view corresponding to FIG. 7 showing the manually operable release means in a second operative position; and

FIG. 9 is a view corresponding to part of FIG. 7 showing the manually operable release means in a third operative position.

Referring to the drawings, the key comprises a metal holder or casing 10 having an end face 11 and a handle portion 12 longitudinally spaced from the end face. The casing comprises two complementary shells, 13,14, which are fastened together by screws 15,16,17, the casing being split in a longitudinal medial plane. The shell 13, constituting one casing half, is formed with a transverse end portion 18 defining the end face 1 1; the portion 18 has a peripheral groove 19 in which a spring clip 20 is located. The purpose of the spring clip 20 is to cooperate with means provided on the lock mounting to retain the key and prevent withdrawal of the key from the lock until the key has been rotated to an upright position. The manner in which the spring clip cooperates with the lock mounting forms no part of the present invention and will not be described herein.

Four pins are carried by the casing half 13 so as to be longitudinally displaceable within the casing independently of one another. Each pin comprises a lockengaging portion 21 which extends forwardly through an opening in the end face 11, there being four such openings arranged in a line. Extending rearwardly from the lock-engaging portion 21 of each pin is a ratchet portion 22 having a longitudinal bore 23 into which a tension spring 24 extends. The tension spring is anchored at one end to a cross pin 25 in the bore, and at its other end to a cross pin 26 carried by the casing half 13. The springs 24 are aligned with the lock-engaging portions 21 of the pins and engage the pins so as to bias the pins to their respective retracted positions. The retracted positions of the pins are determined by a stop 27 mounted in the casing, the stop being engageable with the rear ends of the ratchet portions 22; when all the pins are retracted, they have the neutral configuration shown in FIG. 2.

For the purpose of adjusting the key pins from the neutral configuration shown in FIG. 2 to an operative configuration as shown in FIG. I, manually operable setting means are provided. The manually operable set ting means comprise four independently adjustable tabs 28, each tab being connected to a respective one of the pins by a screw 29, and having a manually engageable portion 28a projecting through a respective longitudinal slot 30 in the casing'10. The relative positions of the slots 30, and of the tab portions 28a, are best illustrated in FIG. 4, which figure also shows scale markings 31 cooperating with the tap portions to identify the key setting.

Since the key pins are biassed towards their respective retracted positions by the biasing springs 24, it is necessary to provide locking means for locking the pins in their set positions. Such means are constituted by four pivoted pawls 32. These pawls are shown in perspective in FIG. 5, and are shown in operative relation to the ratchet portions 22 in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9. The pawls 32 are pivotally mounted in the casing half 14 by means of a transverse pivot pin 33, defining a common pivotal axis; spacer washers 34 mounted on the pivot pin 33 serve to space the pawls from one another as shown in FIG. 5. Each pawl has at one end a tooth 35 which is engageable with the ratchet portion 22 of the respective key pin, and an end extension 36 at the same end which is engaged by the free end of a cantilever blade spring 37, the pawls being individually biassed by the cantilever blade spring 37 so as to urge the pawl teeth 35 towards the ratchet portions 22. The spring 37 has three longitudinal slots defining four independent resilient sections. Each pawl 32 is also formed with an abutment portion 38 at said one end and an abutment portion 39 at its other end.

Manually operable means are provided for setting the pawls 32 in any selected one of three operative positions relative to the ratchet portions 22. Such means, the component parts of which are illustrated in the exploded perspective view of FIG. 6, comprise a manually engageable button 40 having a rectangular boss 41 on its inner face, and a plate member 42 which is fastened to the boss 41 by a screw 43. The plate member 42 has a first abutment portion formed by a transverse rib 44, the rib being intersected by three short slots 45 to provide a degree of resilience in this region of the plate, so as to ensure firm engagement with each pawl, and a second abutment portion formed by a curled rim 46 at the forward end of the plate member 42. The plate member is formed with a second curled rim portion 47 at the rear end which houses a compression spring 49 and two balls 50 which are urged by the spring into two locating grooves 14b in the casing half 14 when the plate member is in the second position shown in FIG. 8. The balls 50 maintain this position when the button 40 is released, thereby allowing the operator to set the pins with ease. Furthermore, the grooves 14b are so arranged that when the button is removed to the third position and released, the button and the plate member are automatically returned to the second position. As shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, the rectangular boss 41 extends through a short longitudinal slot 48 inthe casing half 14, so that the button 40 lies on the outer side of the casing and the plate member 42 lies against the inner side of the casing; the boss 41 cooperates with the slot 48 so as to constrain the plate member 42 to be moved linearly between forward and rearward limit positions.

In FIG. 7 the manually operable means are shown in a first, locking position. In this position the transverse rib 44 engages the abutment portions 38 of the pawls 32 so as to urge the pawl teeth 35 into engagement with the ratchet portions 22 of the key pins independently of the action of the spring 37. In this position the transverse rib 44 is located directly over a relieved portion 14a inside the casing half 14 to allow slight displacements of the individual resilient sections of the plate member 42. The pawls thus hold the key pins in the particular positions in which they are set. In this figure the pins are shown in their retracted positions.

In order to reset the pins to an operative configuration, it is necessary to slide the button 40 to a second position in which the transverse rib 44 is disengaged from the pawls. This position is illustrated in FIG. 8. In this position the pawls 32 are free to pivot about the pivot pin 33, but are biassed into engagement with the ratchet portions 22 by the cantilever blade spring 37. The spring 37 is arranged to engage the ratchet portions 22 individually with sufficient force to prevent the pins from being retracted by the biasing springs 24. It

is important to note that the pawl teeth 35 cooperate with the ratchet portions 22 to define a plurality of discrete operative positions for each pin. The pins are set by means of the tabs 28, a succession of clicks being heard as each pin is moved, as the pawl tooth 35 rides over the ratchet portion 22. By counting the clicks a user can determine the positon to which any pin has been set without referring to the scales 31, an important advantage if the key is being used in poor light. Having set the key to the desired configuration, the user returns the button to its first position, shown in FIG. 7, to lock the pins in their set positions.

FIG. 9 illustrates a very simple means by which the key is rapidly and very simply restored to a neutral configuration after use. The button 40 is moved to its third position, in which the boss 41 approaches the forward end of the slot 48. In this case the abutment portion 46 of the slidable plate member 42 engages the abutment portions 39 of the pawls, thereby pivoting the pawls completely out of engagement with the ratchet portion 22 of the pins; the pins are thus automatically returned by the biassing springs 24 to their retracted positions.

What I claim as my invention is: 1. An adjustable key for cylinder locks, comprising:

a holder,

a plurality of pins displaceable longitudinally in the holder independently of one another, each pin being displaceable longitudinally between a .retracted position and any selected one of a plurality of operative positions,

spring means biasing the pins to their respective retracted positions, I

manually operable setting means engageable with the pins for setting the pins in a selected configuration,

locking means mounted in the holder, said locking means being engageable with the pins for locking the pins in their set positions, and

manually operable release means engageable with said locking means and operable to disengage the locking means from the pins to permit retraction of the pins.

2. An adjustable key according to claim 1, wherein the holder comprises a longitudinally extending casing having an end face and a handle portion which is spaced longitudinally from the end face, the pins extending through openings in the end face.

3. An adjustable key according to claim 2, wherein the casing comprises a pair of complementary shells fastened together, the casing being split in a longitudinal medial plane, one of the shells having a transverse end portion defining said end face.

4. An adjustable key according to claim 2, wherein said manually operable setting means comprises a plurality of manually engageable tabs, the casing providing a plurality of longitudinal slots, each tab being connected to a respective one of said pins and projecting through a respective one of said slots.

5. An adjustable key for cylinder locks, comprising:

a casing,

a plurality of pins displaceable longitudinally in the casing independently of one another, each pin being displaceable between a retracted position and any selected one of a plurality of operative positions,

spring means biasing the pins to their respective retracted positions,

manually operable setting means for setting the pins in a selected configuration, said manually operable setting means comprising a plurality of independently adjustable tabs, each tab being connected to a respective one of the pins,

locking means mounted in the casing, said locking means being engageable with the pins for locking the pins in their set positions, and

manually operable release means mounted on the casing, said release means being engageable with said locking means and operable to disengage the locking means from the pins to permit retraction of the pins.

6. An adjustable key for cylinder locks, comprising a casing,

a plurality of pins displaceable longitudinally inthe casing independently of one another, each pin being displaceable between a retracted position and any selected one of a plurality of operative positions,

each pin providing a rearwardly extending ratchet portion,

stop means mounted in the casing, said stop means being engageable with the pins to define the retracted positions thereof,

first spring means biasing the pins to their respective retracted positions,

manually operable setting means for setting the pins in a selected configuration, said manually operable setting means comprising a plurality of independently adjustable tabs, each tab being connected to a respective one of the pins,

pawl means pivotally mounted in the casing, said pawl means being engageable with the ratchet portions of the pins,

manually operable release means mounted on the casing, said manually operable release means comprising a slidable member having first, second and third operative positions, the member in its first position abutting againstthepawl means to urge the pawl means into locking engagement with said ratchet portions, in its second position being disengaged from the pawl means to permit said ratchet portions to ride over said pawl means, and in its portion of a respective pin.

8. An adjustable key according to claim 7, wherein the second spring means comprises a longitudinally slotted cantilever blade spring, defining independent spring sections, the free ends of which engage the pawl members to bias the pawl members into engagement with said ratchet portions.

9. An adjustable key according to claim 8, wherein the pivotally mounted pawl members have a common transverse pivoted axis, each pawl member having a first end on one side of said axis which end is engaged by the free end of the-respective blade spring section, and a second end on the other side of said axis, and wherein the slidable member is longitudinally slidable in the casing and has a first abutment engageable with said first ends of the pawl members, in the first position of the slidable member to urge the pawl members into locking engagement with said ratchet portions, and a second abutment engageable with said second ends of the pawl members, in the third position of the slidable member, to hold the pawl members out of engagement with said ratchet portions.

10. An adjustable key according to claim 9, wherein the casing comprises a pair of complementary shells fastened together, the casing having an end face and a handle portion which is spaced longitudinally from the end face, the casing being split in a longitudinal medial plane, and one of the shells having a transverse end portion defining said end face. 

1. An adjustable key for cylinder locks, comprising: a holder, a plurality of pins displaceable longitudinally in the holder independently of one another, each pin being displaceable longitudinally between a retracted position and any selected one of a plurality of operative positions, spring means biasing the pins to their respective retracted positions, manually operable setting means engageable with the pins for setting the pins in a selected configuration, locking means mounted in the holder, said locking means being engageable with the pins for locking the pins in their set positions, and manually operable release means engageable with said locking means and operable to disengage the locking means from the pins to permit retraction of the pins.
 2. An adjustable key according to claim 1, wherein the holder comprises a longitudinally extending casing having an end face and a handle portion which is spaced longitudinally from the end face, the pins extending through openings in the end face.
 3. An adjustable key according to claim 2, wherein the casing comprises a pair of complementary shells fastened together, the casing being split in a longitudinal medial plane, one of the shells having a transverse end portion defining said end face.
 4. An adjustable key according to claim 2, wherein said manually operable setting means comprises a plurality of manually engageable tabs, the casing providing a plurality of longitudinal slots, each tab being connected to a respective one of said pins and projecting through a respective one of said slots.
 5. An adjustable key for cylinder locks, comprising: a casing, a plurality of pins displaceable longitudinally in the casing independently of one another, each pin being displaceable between a retracted position and any selected one of a plurality of operative positions, spring means biasing the pins to their respective retracted positions, manually operable setting means for setting the pins in a selected configuration, said manually operable setting means comprising a plurality of independently adjustable tabs, each tab being connected to a respective one of the pins, locking means mounted in the casing, said locking means being engageable with the pins for locking the pins in their set positions, and manually operable release means mounted on the casing, said release means being engageable with said locking means and operable to disengage the locking means from the pins to permit retraction of the pins.
 6. An adjustable key for cylinder locks, comprising a casing, a plurality of pins displaceable longitudinally in the casing independently of one another, each pin being displaceable between a retracted position and any selected one of a plurality of operative positions, each pin providing a rearwardly extending ratchet portion, stop means mounted in the casing, said stop means being engageable with the pins to define the retracted positions thereof, first spring means biasing the pins to their respective retracted positions, manually operable setting means for setting the pins in a selected configuration, said manually operable setting means comprising a plurality of independently adjustable tabs, each tab being connected to a respective one of the pins, pawl means pivotally mounted in the casing, said pawl means being engageable with the ratchet portions of the pins, manually operable release means mounted on the casing, said manually operable release means comprising a slidable member having first, second and third operative positions, the member in its first position abutting against the pawl means to urge the pawl means into locking engagement with said ratchet portions, in its second position being disengaged from the pawl means to permit said ratchet portions to ride over said pawl means, and in its third position abutting against the pawl means to hold the pawl means out of engagement with the ratchet portions, and second spring means engaging the pawl means to bias said pawl means into engagement with the ratchet portions with sufficient force to prevent said first spring means from returning the pins to their retracted positions when the slidable member is in its second position.
 7. An adjustable key according to claim 6, wherein the pawl means comprises a plurality of pivoted pawl members each of which is engageable with the ratchet portion of a respective pin.
 8. An adjustable key according to claim 7, wherein the second spring means comprises a longitudinally slotted cantilever blade spring, defining independent spring sections, the free ends of which engage the pawl members to bias the pawl members into engagement with said ratchet portions.
 9. An adjustable key according to claim 8, wherein the pivotally mounted pawl members have a common transverse pivoted axis, each pawl member having a first end on one side of said axis which end is engaged by the free end of the respective blade spring section, and a second end on the other side of said axis, and wherein the slidable member is longitudinally slidable in the casing and has a first abutment engageable with said first ends of the pawl members, in the first position of the slidable member to urge the pawl members into locking engagement with said ratchet portions, and a second abutment engageable with said second ends of the pawl members, in the third position of the slidable member, to hold the pawl members out of engagement with said ratchet portions.
 10. An adjustable key according to claim 9, wherein the casing comprises a pair of complementary shells fastened together, the casing having an end face and a handle portion which is spaced longitudinally from the end face, the casing being split in a longitudinal medial plane, and one of the shells having a transverse end portion defining said end face. 